1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a V-belt continuously variable transmission. The V-belt continuously variable transmission includes a fixed sheave fixed to a driving shaft, a movable sheave movable toward or away from the fixed sheave in a direction along an axis of the driving shaft and supported by the driving shaft, a coupling arm supported by the movable sheave through a rolling bearing, or provided with an engaged portion and a V-belt wound between the fixed sheave and the movable sheave. The fixed sheave, the movable sheave, the coupling arm, and the V-belt are stored in a transmission case that is formed by fastening a plurality of dividable case members with a plurality of fastening members. The V-belt continuously variable transmission further includes an actuator unit that causes an output member or an engaging portion engageable with the engaged portion to move in a direction parallel to the axis of the driving shaft with power from an actuator. The actuator unit is supported by the transmission case slidably in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the driving shaft between an engagement position, where the actuator unit is mounted to the transmission case from the outside by engaging the output member with the coupling arm so that the movement of the output shaft can be transmitted to the movable sheave or the engaging portion with the engaged portion so as to allow transmission of the movement of the output shaft to the movable sheave, and a disengagement position, where the actuator unit is not mounted to the transmission case and the output member is disengaged from the coupling arm or the engaging portion is disengaged from the engaged portion.
The V-belt continuously variable transmission may include an actuator unit for causing an output member engageable with the coupling arm to move in a direction parallel to the axis of the driving shaft with power from an actuator, the actuator unit being mounted to the transmission case so that the movement of the output member is transmitted to the movable sheave through the coupling arm and the rolling bearing. The coupling arm may be composed of a first member and a second member, the first member being mounted to the rolling bearing, the second member being engageable with the output member and mounted to the first member by a mounting member.
2. Description of Background Art
A V-belt continuously variable transmission is disclosed in JP Patent No. 5241642. An actuator unit is slid in a direction perpendicular to an axis of a driving shaft, thereby switching an engaging portion of an output shaft included in an actuator unit between an engagement position, where the engaging portion is engaged with an engaged portion of a coupling arm supported by a movable sheave through a rolling bearing, and a disengagement position, where the engaging portion is disengaged from the engaged portion. Thus, clearance for permitting the slide movement of the actuator unit is set between the transmission case and the actuator unit supported by the transmission case, thereby allowing installation and removal of the actuator unit.
Meanwhile, the transmission case is often formed by fastening a plurality of dividable case members with a plurality of fastening members, and in the case where the construction disclosed in JP Patent No. 5241642 is applied to such a transmission case, depending on the arrangement of the fastening members, some fastening members may interfere with the slide movement of the actuator unit, and it may be difficult to ensure the clearance for permitting the slide movement of the actuator unit between the transmission case and the actuator unit as disclosed in JP Patent No. 5241642. In this case, unfortunately, it is necessary to perform the engagement/disengagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion while slidably moving the actuator unit in a limited narrow space, resulting in deterioration in workability.
A V-belt continuously variable transmission is disclosed in JP-A No. 2012-184788, wherein an output member is engaged with and coupled to a coupling arm supported by a movable sheave through a rolling bearing that is moved in a direction parallel to an axis of a driving shaft, thereby axially driving the movable sheave. The coupling arm is composed of a first member mounted to the rolling bearing and a second member engageable with the output member and mounted to the first member by a mounting member.